The Artist and The Lothrat
by Saint11
Summary: Sabine, a 16 year old Mandalorian and artist at heart. Ezra, unkempt street urchin who finds a family with the crew, but one in particular. A series of one-shots about two teens who couldn't be more different, yet couldn't be more similar.
1. Come Home Again (S2)

It was only moments until the Jedi were due to leave for Malachor, and Sabine knew this if she wanted to speak to Ezra, now was her last chance. The Mandalorian wanted to spend some time with him before the crucial mission, knowing full well that she may never see Ezra again. Most of her believed that they'd all return home safe and sound, the holocron would be theirs and they could continue fighting as normal. But the worm of doubt present in the back of her mind refused to let her forget that there was a small chance it could all go wrong.

Sabine shook her head as she left her thoughts and exited her cabin o find Ezra. She didn't have to look hard, locating the Padawan across the hall in his cabin making final preparations. He was sitting at the desk, concentrating intensely on his lightsabre, adjusting part of the stun blaster. She noted he was deeply focused. His usually sharply attuned senses would notice someone at the door. But today, Sabine could have detonated a bomb in her room and he likely wouldn't notice. Wasting no more time, the artist knocked lightly on the doorframe. There was no response.

"Ezra." Sabine breathed softly.

"Ezra!" Her voice rose a little causing the boy to snap out of his state and turn to face Sabine at the door.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." She began. "May I come in?"

"Sure. Sorry I didn't hear... I was, uh, thinking about things." Ezra reflected.

The Mandalorian entered his cabin and sat on the edge of the bed. She looked over at Ezra at the desk.

"I just wanted to catch you before you left." Sabine confessed.

"Don't worry, Sabine, everything will be fine." Ezra smiled comfortingly.

"I know, but I can't help worrying that something will happen. I've had one family ripped away from me, and I really don't want another." Sabine replied desperately.

Ezra stood from the chair and moved across to the bottom bunk, sitting next to Sabine. He dropped an arm over he shoulders. She stiffened slightly but melted into the embrace, wrapping her arms around Ezra too. They stayed that way for what seemed like hours, but was only a minute or two. The teens released each other and Sabine gripped Ezra's shoulders, turning him to face her. The artist's hazel eyes stared deeply into Ezra's vibrant blue ones.

"Please, just come home again. I can't bear to think of what it'll be like if you don't." Sabine whispered, fighting the urge to cry.

Ezra smiled in return. It was one of those warm, genuine smiles that Sabine loved. "Thanks, I needed that. We'll be back. Kanan, Ahsoka and I. We're family, and we won't leave anyone behind."

As if on cue, Kanan's voice echoed off the halls of the Ghost.

"Ezra! We're leaving!"

Sabine realised that the very moment she had been dreading was upon the,. Reluctantly, Ezra stood, leaving the warmth and safety of his bunk. He grabbed his weapon off the desk and exited his cabin with Sabine next to him. The teens bounded down the ramp to where the crew, minus Kanan and Ahsoka, were waiting. He quickly embraced everyone and continued to the Phantom where the other Jedi were standing.

"Got everything? This is a one way trip." Kanan questioned.

Ezra hesitated. "Yeah."

The three Jedi entered the Phantom and the door hiss shut behind them. The little craft ascended slowly from the dusty surface of Atollon and promptly jumped to hyperspace, leaving the Rebel base. Sabine watched them go, remembering that it would be a very long and very hard few days ahead of her. She looked to Zeb, then to Rex, then to Hera, who all shared her emotions. They were family, she realised, and they'd get through this together.

* * *

Hey Guys!

Sorry for my disappearance, but now I'm on break for a month so hopefully I can upload at least once per week. I may turn this into more than a one-shot, involving events after they return. Tell me what you want to see and any other story ideas, and just overall feedback for this quick little chapter. Thanks for every favourite, follow and review!

~Saint


	2. Not The Same (S2)

As soon as they had stepped off the ship, Sabine knew there was a different Ezra from the last time she saw him. This one was scared, refusing to meet anyone's gaze. When all the attention was on Kanan's eyes and Ahsoka's absence, Ezra slipped off into the Ghost unnoticed by anyone.

Except Sabine.

She wanted to talk to him but knew better that to approach the padawan immediately. Instead of tracking him back into the Ghost, she spoke to Kanan, seeing if he was alright. After several minutes outside, Hera managed to pry the Jedi away from the concerned crew and down towards the medical section of the Atollon outpost.

Seeing her chance, Sabine snuck away quietly towards the Ghost, entering the open ramp. It didn't take long to find Ezra. He was curled up on a seat in the common area crying softly. Sabine gave the boy a sympathetic glance and sat down next to him. She laid a hand on his shoulder and spoke gently.

"Hey, what's wrong?" The Mandalorian felt that she knew pretty well what happened based on Kanan's report, but she wanted to hear it from Ezra.

"Go away, I want to be left alone." Ezra choked out between his sobs.

"Ezra, you don't have to be alone anymore." Sabine soothed.

"Yeah I do!" Ezra exclaimed.

"We're family, and families don't leave others behind." Sabine encouraged, smiling warmly at the boy.

"No, you're wrong!" Ezra exclaimed, leaping out of the chair and facing Sabine. His eyes were red-rimmed from crying and he had tearstains on his cheeks.

"I don't deserve to be here! It's my fault that Kanan is blind! It's my fault that Ahsoka is dead!" Ezra cried. The words sounded like they were ripped from his vocal cords.

Him and Sabine locked glances for a couple of seconds until a fresh wave of tears consumed Ezra. The girl stood and wrapped her arms around the padawan. Leaning close, Sabine whispered in his ear.

"No matter what happens, even if everyone hates you, I'll still be here for you. I love you Ezra, and that won't change."

Ezra removed his hands from his eyes and returned Sabine's warm embrace. They stayed locked for several minutes, Ezra still sobbing quietly into Sabine's shoulder, and that's how Hera found them several minutes later.

The Twi'lek pilot didn't interrupt them, she simply walked by and left the teens to their private moment. Hera made herself a mental note to discuss this with Ezra tomorrow. The boy had to know that none of this was his fault.

* * *

I've decided to change this story up a bit. Instead of focusing solely on Ezra and Sabine before/after Malachor, I'm opening it to one-shots from any time. Because of this, I need some more ideas. Feel free to leave amy ideas in a review and also your thoughts on the chapter. I currently have one idea to work with. Thanks for reading :)

~Saint


	3. Hair by Sabine (S3)

The Ghost was shutting down for another night on the surface of Lothal. Hera switched off the lights in the common room, cargo bay and the several turrets, exited the cockpit, and went to her room for the night.

"Ezra, can you shut off the Phantom." Hera called as she entered her room.

"Coming." He replied absentmindedly as he climbed the ladder and shut the lights.

As he slid down the ladder and turned for his room, he noticed Sabine standing in the hallway, eyeing him the way she did when she had an idea. Ezra simply stared back at her. After a few seconds, she shifted her weight onto one foot and affixed her hand squarely on her hip.

"You know what kid, the long hair doesn't suit you anymore." She observed critically.

"Hey, this is a Rebellion, not a fashion show." Ezra replied defensively.

"Still, it's not gonna do." Sabine decided as she stepped forward and secured Ezra's wrist in her grasp, dragging him into her room.

"Sit down." She commanded, pointing to a chair. Ezra obeyed suspiciously.

Sabine slid back a panel and a mirror was presented. She opened a draw to reveal a pair of scissors, clippers, a comb, and a spray bottle.

"I thought you were an artist?" Ezra sounded thoroughly confused.

"Art isn't limited to painting. How do you think I got my hair like this?" She replied confidently.

"Got someone else to do it?" Ezra offered.

"No, definitely not. They don't have my vision." Sabine smiled.

"What are you gonna do to my hair, paint it?" Ezra teased.

Sabine grabbed the nearest spray can. "Well, I could do…" She smiled evilly.

"No! No! No! I like the colour it is!" Ezra covered his hair with his arms in fright.

The Mandalorian grabbed a handful of Ezra's hair and tested its length wit her fingers.

"I think it'd look good short." She stated decidedly.

"As long as it doesn't all go." Ezra replied gratefully.

"Great!" Sabine sang gleefully.

She grabbed the clippers from the draw and began cutting off most of his hair, starting at the back and working around to the front and then to the top. Large patches of raven hair were falling from his head like meteors from the sky, not going unnoticed by Ezra.

"Sabine… Isn't that a little too much?" He questioned, watched almost fearfully in the mirror.

"Stop struggling and let me finish." She reprimanded, guiding his head back to the upright position.

Several minutes and more large patches of hair later, Sabine was finished. Ezra looked down onto the floor and noticed all the hair. There was probably enough for two other people, each having a plentiful amount of it. After his newfound interest of the floor was satisfied, he looked up into the mirror to assess the damage. His hair was short all around. Ezra almost didn't recognise himself.

"So what do you think?" Sabine prompted hopefully.

"You know what, it's not that bad." Ezra admitted and Sabine beamed.

* * *

I couldn't help myself. I do not apologise ;). Next chapter of Years Before should be up in a couple of days. For now, enjoy my burst of inspiration from S3. Persoanlly, I don't like his new hair. But, hey, I couldn't leave it out of here. Please suggest one-shots you'd like to see!

~Saint


	4. Time for a Change (S3)

"Ezra, remember what we learnt today. Focus on feeling the force inside you, then you can truly control it." Kanan lectured to his padawan. "You're dismissed."

Ezra stood and walked back into the Ghost, turning to Kanan before he disappeared. "Thanks Master."

Kanan nodded and Ezra went further into the ship, navigating the hallway to his room. He reached to press the button when a voice stopped him.

"Ezra, is that you?" It was Sabine from inside her room.

"Yeah. It's me." Ezra replied before pressing the button.

"Can I ask you something?" Sabine sounded hesitant, which Ezra knew meant that she was torn between something.

"Anything." He soothed reassuringly.

"It's just, I don't know about these colours, if they work together, or if they suit me, and I don't know what everyone would think." She spilled from behind the door.

"Sabine, I can say for myself that regardless of your looks, my opinion of you doesn't change. And I'm sure everyone else thinks the same." Ezra smiled.

Sabine took a deep breath and opened the door. It slid open to reveal the same girl that Ezra had known, except for one thing. Her hair wasn't a blue gradient anymore. It was now a snowy white, with purple accents stretching from the roots to halfway down. She had changed the style, too. It was pulled over he face with the right side being slightly longer than the left.

"So… What do you think?" She asked nervously, doing a little spin so Ezra could see the whole style.

"I think it's beautiful." He said with a toothy grin, and then added. "As always."

He laughed as Sabine rolled her eyes at his smooth talking, letting him know that it wasn't working. But inside, she was deeply flattered by his comments.

"When are you going to show the others?" Ezra quizzed.

"Tonight probably. But I wanted to show you first." She revealed.

"Is that because of my artistic traits?" Ezra replied in a posh voice.

"No, it's because you like me for who I am, not what I look like, and that means more to me that you could imagine. Not that the others don't, its just that you're my ago, too." Sabine confessed.

"I take it you'll be painting your armour too?" Ezra queried.

"Of course. I have some sketches of what I want it to look like." Sabine replied with new energy as she dashed to her drawer and pulled out a sketchpad.

The Mandalorian flipped through the many sketches covering the pages, stopping at some prototypes for armour.

"I was thinking more reds and purples, kinda like my first one. Oh, and yellow too. I think I'm gonna change the bodysuit too. It gets hot under the gloves so I'm gonna make them fingerless. New boot and wrist armour, as well, in the same colours of course." Sabine relayed excitedly to her bewildered friend.

She looked up and saw a confused Ezra. "Oh. Sorry." She offered, somewhat crestfallen.

Ezra wrapped his arm over her shoulder and smiled. "Sabine, it looks amazing, and I'm sure it'll look even better when it's on you."

Sabine returned the smile. "Almost forgot, one more thing."

"What is that?"

"Will you help me do it?"

"Of course!"

* * *

How could I not write about Sabine's new look too? Being my favourite character it came at quite a large surprise when I saw her new hair and colours and jetpack and everything really. I like her new gadgets, too, as well as the fucking darksabre holy shit I almost cried. Well, enjoy the chapter as I contemplate life because school goes back tomorrow. I encourage reviews, negative or positive as it lets me know that you're reading and enjoying. Suggestions appreciated too and I will do my best to accommodate all of them. Thanks :)

~Saint


	5. Combat Training (S2)

"I'm ready!" Ezra called to Sabine, taking a fighting stance. She unbuckled her belt and dropped it on the floor next to her, blasters included.

"Let's see what you got, kid!" She teased before feinting at Ezra, who recoiled. She giggled in amusement.

"Very funny." He huffed, before closing the distance between him and Sabine and lunging at her. Close combat training had begun.

Ezra's lunged was met with his shoulders clasped in the strong grip of the Mandalorian.

"Rule number 1 kid, don't dive in unguarded." She instructed, before swinging him around and using the momentum of his lunged to send him skidding across the plains.

He rolled to a stop a couple of metres away and stood shakily to see Sabine facing him and ready for the next more. She leapt towards Ezra and swung her leg around in a roundhouse kick style. The padawan barely ducked in time as he heard Sabine's leg whistle over his head. Ezra sprung himself forward and pressed Sabine's legs together whilst she was recovering, casing her to fall over. He took his advantage and made a move to pin her in a chokehold.

"I can't believe I'm doing this to the girl I love." He thought to himself.

Sabine pried Ezra's hands away from her neck and slid out nimbly from between them. She delivered a forceful kick to Ezra's thigh and grabbed a fistful of his shirt as he bent over in pain. Sabine planted her foot firmly in front of her and hauled Ezra over it onto the floor. Truth be told, she wasn't too proud of how she was fighting, but at the moment Ezra's Jedi speed and agility made quick jabs and punches useless.

Ezra flipped head over feet and landed with a thud on the dusty surface. His force attuned senses told him that Sabine was right behind him, so he rolled to the side desperately. Ezra saw her boots skid past him to a halt in his peripheral vision. He tucked his knees into his chest and sprung out when she was close enough, catching Sabine on the shins and bringing her down next to him with a hiss of pain. Ezra pushed his hands into her shoulders in a clumsy attempt to pin her, but he had left his ribs and front exposed. The padawan realised his mistake too late as Sabine pressed her advantage.

She swept his knees out from the ground and he clattered face first into the dirt, releasing pressure on her shoulders. Ezra tried desperately to stand back up and put forward some sort of defence but she was too quick. Sabine kicked him in the hip with a short jab and he rolled over onto his back. She pushed her knee into Ezra's chest, pinning his upper body to the ground. He struggled to no avail as Sabine drilled several punches into his stomach. After what felt like ages she removed her knee from his chest and he curled up in pain, but the fight wasn't over yet. Sabine sat astride Ezra and pinned his arms down over his head.

"1… 2… 3…" She counted, before releasing his arms. "How do you feel getting beat up by a girl?" Sabine teased, still on Ezra.

"But you're Mandalorian! They're not normal!" Ezra protested.

"Excuse me?" Sabine replied with mock offense, grabbing Ezra's hands again.

"No! No! No! I take it back!" He added desperately and Sabine released him, getting off his chest.

She stood and helped him up.

"So, how was your first proper combat training?" She quizzed with an amused smile.

"Painful." Ezra groaned.

* * *

Hey! This is just what I though training between them would be like. I'd imagine Sabine would win since she's formally trained and has been for several years. Thanks for reading! Feel free to Follow, Fav or Review! Also it's Saint11 just with "Rogue" in front of it:P

~Saint


	6. Vorzyd Sliders (S1)

Before the chapter I'd just like to clear up a common topic in reviews of the previous one. Guests have been saying, "Wow Ezra could have used the force." That's not the point. It's called _Combat Training_ not _Jedi Training._ If Ezra were to use the force he would beat Sabine hands down, but I'm trying to develop a relationship with them, so using the force would completely defeat the purpose of doing this. Some of these chapters may contain parts that aren't canon or likely to happen, but this is how I want to present them. I also will post new chapters with the season highlighted, so you know roughly where they fall. Now I'm gonna shut up before this becomes longer than the chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

"Ezra, Sabine, you're going into the market this morning to pick up some supplies. Here is your list." Hera announced, handing a list to Sabine, who read it over quickly.

"Nerf steak, space waffles, meiloorun… Seems easy enough." Sabine summarised.

"Well let's be off then, before it gets too busy." Hera commanded, lowering the ramp. Sabine and Ezra mounted their jump speeders and sped off towards the Capital City.

They arrived shortly, parking their speeders near a back entrance and slipping in undetected.

"So, where to first Sabine?" Ezra quizzed with a goofy grin.

"Fruit stand. Hera wants a meiloorun." Sabine replied, rolling her eyes at Ezra's playful face.

"Not meilooruns again." He huffed.

Sabine ignored his protest and walked confidently up to the vendor, speaking in his native Rodian tongue. Ezra, who was thoroughly confused by the landslide of words tumbling out of their mouths, decided to entertain himself elsewhere. He scanned the street of shops, eyes falling quickly on a Vorzyd stand. Ezra's eyes widened and a massive smile stretched across his face. Vorzyd sliders were uncommon on Lothal due to the imported ingredients and their seasonal availability. Snapping out of his obsession, he noticed Sabine leaving the vendor with a meiloorun in hand.

"Ok, now we need…" Sabine began, only to be cut off by an excited Ezra.

"Sabine! You have to try these!" Ezra exclaimed.

"Kid, I'm not in the mood today. I just want to get this done." Sabine returned moodily.

"Trust me, you'll regret missing them! Vorzyd sliders only come around once a year!" Ezra explained.

"Ezra, I said no." she scolded.

"You know you want to." He hummed.

"Fine!" Sabine spat. "You better hope this is worth it."

Ezra didn't hear the last part. As soon as the word "fine" left her mouth he had grabbed her wrist and begun to drag her towards the stand. He stopped a metre or so away, letting go of the Mandalorian and ordering the delicacy. In a few moments he heard his order called.

"Two Vorzyd sliders for… Jabba?" The chef called.

Ezra hurriedly claimed the food and shoved one into Sabine's hands. It was a small burger-styled dish, with a Mongo Beefhead patty, Vorzydiak mushrooms, kibi strips, Bimm mustard and Sernpidalian mayo-ketchup, all served on a foodboard. Sabine, still very much annoyed, reluctantly took a bite. Her mouth was transformed immediately into a mix of wonderful flavours. She didn't know which was which, but she didn't care. The slider was devoured quickly and left a satisfying feeling.

"See, not too bad?" Ezra grinned.

"I'll give you that one, kid." Sabine smiled in return.

* * *

Hera heard the familiar sound of jump speeders and made her way down to the cargo hold to greet Sabine and Ezra. They parked their speeders and handed Hera the crate of food.

"As ordered, captain." Sabine offered in an upbeat tone.

"Sabine, you seem happier than when you left." Hera observed.

"It's good getting out." Sabine replied innocently. Hera eyed her at length, and finally left, satisfied her answer.

"This stays between us." Sabine whispered to Ezra. "If Zeb or Kanan find out e had something other than dried rations without them, they'll kill us."

Sabine enjoyed the fearful look on Ezra's face a little too much.


	7. Scars of the Past (S2)

"Hera, get us out of here!" Kanan commanded as the last of the crew entered the cockpit.

The familiar blue and white streaks lined all sides of their view and the freighter was gone again. Once they were safely in hyperspace, everyone relaxed and returned to their quarters. On the way to her room, Sabine noticed Ezra walking gingerly towards his, cradling his right arm.

"Ezra!" She called. His head snapped up and turned to her, clearly startled.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"Why are you holding your arm?" Sabine quizzed suspiciously.

"Oh, haha, no reason." He tried, but she didn't bite.

"That's not working with me, kid." The Mandalorian warned.

"Seriously, it's nothing." Ezra pleaded.

"Show me." Sabine commanded sternly.

Ezra slowly removed his arm to show his sleave stained red. She went to step closer but Ezra snatched it back.

"That needs medical attention." She observed.

"No way!" Ezra huffed.

"If you let me do it I won't tell anyone else." Sabine offered, seeing right through him.

Ezra sighed. "Fine."

He followed Sabine into the medbay and sat up on the table whilst she grabbed a few supplies and headed over to him. She began to roll up his sleeve to access the wound. It was a long gash, starting from his elbow and running up the inside of his arm and across his shoulder.

"I can't reach it all from here, you'll have to take your shirt off." Sabine prompted.

"Don't worry, I can do it later." Ezra laughed nervously.

"No, we'll do it now." Sabine ordered.

"Please, no, ahhhh." Ezra hissed as Sabine grabbed his shirt and started to pull it over his head. "Sabine! Stop, seriously!" He protested.

"The sooner you let me do it, the sooner it's over with." Sabine encouraged.

"Please, no." Ezra begged finally as his shirt came off.

Sabine gasped at the sight. Her friend's body was covered in scars of all shapes and sizes. Ezra realised what she was transfixed on, so he prompted her =.

"Can I go now?" He asked tiredly.

"Not yet. Let me do this." Sabine shook herself out of her shock. She was going to talk to him about this before he left.

But before that, he had an injury that needed attention. Sabine used a small cloth to mop up the blood around the wound, before retrieving a syringe and filling it with a light green liquid.

"This will sting for a second." She warned before inserting the syringe into his arm and injecting its contents.

Sabine placed it on the table and picked up a small needle. Whilst the painkillers were active she deftly stitched his wound together. Satisfied, the Mandalorian rubbed a cream over the wound to make sure it wouldn't infect and wrapped the area in a clean, white bandage.

"There. That should be fine for a few days. Then we'll need to change it." She commented, still thinking about his scars.

"Thanks." Ezra grunted, about to hop off the table.

"Ezra." Sabine sighed.

"Yeah?"

"What were those scars on your body?" The words left her mouth before she could stop them.

"They were my childhood." He replied darkly.

"Sometimes it helps to talk about it. Before you came, Kanan, Zeb and I shared our stories and it felt like a massive weight lifted off our shoulders." Sabine soothed.

"What do you want to talk about?" Ezra grumbled.

"Just tell me what happened." She smiled.

"Look, I don't know, you pick one." Ezra mumbled.

"That one."

Ezra looked down at the area she pointed to. It was a circular scar.

"There was a protest and a bucket head threw a grenade into the crowd. I guess I was in the wrong place at the wrong time." His lips tightened into a grimace.

"Ezra…" Sabine didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry I asked."

"Don't be. I needed to talk." Ezra admitted with a sigh.

"What about this one?" Sabine began, pointing to a series of needle holes down his arm. Some were obviously infected from improper treatment.

"I donated blood when I needed money." Ezra explained.

"You… You what?" Sabine repeated in surprise.

"I needed money. Though it wasn't great. They often took too much and I would pass out afterwards, then wake up on some street corner." Ezra recited.

"That's horrible." Sabine gasped.

"It wasn't the best." Ezra replied. "Thanks for the talk. You're right, it helps having someone to trust."

"Ezra, everyone here will help you, no matter what."

* * *

New chapter of Ghost Recovery coming shortly :) Please review, favourite or follow to show your support, and leave requests for chapters. Next one will probably be Sabine sick.

~Saint


	8. A Growing Relationship (S1)

"Rough couple of days, huh?" Sabine's caring voice snapped Ezra out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, it's been… Strange." He offered, still partially in thought.

"I have just what you need." Sabine encouraged, brandishing a small circular object. "It's the holodisk from your old house. It was pretty degraded, but I cleaned it up. And I found something."

Sabine pushed the disk into the slot by the turret, and an image of a young Ezra on his father's back, with his mother beside him, crackled to life. Ezra's eyes widened, completely consumed by the image that took him right back to his childhood.

"Mum! Dad!" He blurted in amazement.

Sabine gave a small laugh and smiled. "Happy Birthday, Ezra Bridger."

Ezra continued to stare at the hologram as it reminded him of everything that made him who he is. His father's gentle hands that kept him on top of his shoulders, never letting go. His mother's warm smile that could brighten anyone's mood. It was then that he became aware that Sabine shared that smile. Ezra reflected on how he had recognised it, every time, but couldn't trace where it was from exactly. Now he became aware of footsteps in the distance as Sabine left him to his privacy.

"Don't go." The words left his mouth before he could stop them. The footsteps ceased, and then restarted growing louder until he saw Sabine's colourful figure appear next to him, out of the corner of his eye.

"What's wrong?" She asked with genuine concern.

"You… You remind me of my mother…" Ezra stammered. "Her smile."

Sabine looked at the image. "Your mother looked like a lovely person." She smiled.

"She was… She would… Cook nice dinners, and she was always there." Ezra descended into sobs.

Sabine looked sympathetically at him. She realised that his normally cheerful and goofy nature was a façade. The Empire destroyed the person he would pretend to be. Once she had gained his trust, he let down his happy guards to reveal a life plagued by loss and sadness. It was then that Sabine remembered how she was the same. The Empire took her family, like Ezra, and she was taken in by Kanan and Hera, like Ezra. Their similarities were no coincidence. He had found a place among them for a reason, and Sabine couldn't begin to imagine what he would be like if they hadn't found him. She decided to change the tone.

"Earlier… You said that you used the dark sided today. What happened?" She asked gently.

"I used my fear and… anger… to summon a Fyrnock." Ezra sniffed.

"Isn't that what you and Kanan have been working on?" Sabine sounded genuinely confused.

"Yeah, but we're working on using it for good, to strengthen my connection with the force. I used it to attack the Inquisitor." Ezra's tears subsided as he detailed their encounter.

"Oh, I see." Sabine conceded.

Ezra removed the holodisk from its slot and pocketed it, saying a silent promise that he'd find his parents one day. He stood from the chair and faced Sabine. She was still an inch or so taller than him, but he was still a kid.

"Thanks so much for the gift." Ezra began.

"It was nothing." Sabine shook off modestly.

"It was more than most people have ever done for me, and it means more than you think." Ezra confessed.

Those words brought Sabine back to the time she first met the Rebels, how small acts that may seem like nothing to most people can make massive differences to others. For the second time, she thought of how lucky they were to find Ezra.

Very lucky indeed.


	9. Artistic Vision (S1)

Ever since he and Zeb had landed their TIE right under Hera and Kanan's nose, Ezra had racked his brain to think of an interesting or practical use for it. The two adults were off limits, Zeb had already confessed his disagreement with the idea, and he had no use. That left Chopper, who would definitely tell Hera, or Sabine. Over the day he had been thinking of what Sabine could use it for, or how to break it to her. She was lacking in any inspiration at the moment so this may be just what the doctor ordered.

Ezra knocked lightly on the door to her room.

"It's open." Her voice came in reply, muffled slightly through the walls.

He walked in and leant casually against the wall.

"Hey, Sabine." He smiled awkwardly.

"Hey kid." She replied.

"Ummm… I have something for you, but it's outside, and we have to go there on speeders." He blurted.

"Alright, I guess. What is it?" Sabine quizzed.

"You'll have to wait and see. Oh and bring your paint." He covered quickly.

She met him in the cargo bay where they kept their speeders parked. It was a good time to go. Hera was running repairs, Zeb was asleep, and Kanan was on a supply run. Ezra hopped onto his ride and sped down the ramp.

"Follow me!" He called to the Mandalorian.

* * *

Ezra broke at an outcrop of stones, near the edge of the plains, approximately 10 minutes rides from their ship. Sabine arrived shortly after him, and by then her curiosity had consumed her.

"Ezra, seriously, where are you taking me?" She asked incredulously.

"Just come around here." He guided her around the back of the rocks. "And close your eyes."

"This is getting weird now." Sabine criticised, but followed nonetheless.

"Ok. Keep your eyes shut, but stop here." Ezra explained, and she obliged. "Well, um, I heard you saying recently that you're lacking artistic inspiration. And, in truth, Zeb and I didn't really crash the TIE. I mean, it's not every day you capture and Imperial ship. He didn't want anything to do with it and I didn't want to leave it, so I thought of you."

Sabine opened her eyes to see the dull, metal transport sitting in front of her. Ideas began flooding her brain quicker than she could comprehend them. The teen's eyes lit up and a smile creased her features.

"So this is… For me?" She stammered in disbelief.

"Yeah… If you don't like it, I can-" Ezra replied nervously, only to be cut off in a bone-crushing hug.

"Don't like it?! I love it!" Sabine exclaimed, releasing him to catch his breath and rushing over to her speeder to retrieve the duffle bag of paint.

She dropped it on the floor and unzipped it, unloading her paints in a neat group.

"Well, if you don't need me, I'll be going." Ezra added, not wanting to intrude on her privacy.

"Oh no, no, no. You're staying." Sabine laughed as she latched onto Ezra's wrist, pulling him back towards the TIE.

"Wait! What do I do?" He protested, confused.

"You're gonna help me paint it. I've had an artistic vision." She revealed proudly, tossing a can of orange paint to the Jedi.

So until darkness descended upon the backwater planet, Sabine and Ezra worked tirelessly to bring her vision to life. They started with an orange coat on the cockpit and the starboard wing, with Sabine instructing her friend on the finer points of art.

"No, Ezra." She sighed. "You have to spread it evenly, otherwise it'll take forever to dry and be uneven."

Sabine took the can of orange paint and demonstrated her point by spraying horizontal lines across the face of the wing, and not in one spot.

"Got it?"

"I think so."

With that out of the way, the duo moved onto the yellow accents on the wings. Sabine showed Ezra a similar technique to the orange undercoat.

"So instead of painting all the way across, you paint only a part of the way." She described patiently.

"How far?" Ezra quizzed uncertainly, not wanting to upset her.

"Make it random, however far you want." She gave him the freedom of design.

Once he underway, she went and painted the intricate checkerboard design on the wing joints, blending it into the orange of the cockpit. He hailed her over when he was done, and she viewed his work with a critical eye.

"Not bad, kid." She nodded her head in approval.

The easy work was done, and Ezra took a much-needed rest whilst Sabine, seemingly unlimited in energy, painted many symbols and designs on the spherical cockpit. Ezra recognised the yellow starbird emblazoned on the bottom, displayed for bucketheads to fear. He also noticed the Nite Owl design on Sabine's helmet transferred onto the sides of the vehicle. The other few prints, he had no idea.

Sabine jumped down from the hatch and landed on the hard dirt of Lothal. Ezra stood and waked to meet her, rejuvenated by his rest.

"All done!" She gestured proudly to the TIE.

"Looks good." He acknowledged, content with his input.

"Good? It's some of my best work!" She exclaimed in disbelief, retreating to her speeder. Ezra heard her mutter something about the "short sight of the artistically challenged."

They mounted their vehicles and sped back to the Ghost, slowing at the ramp and dragging them inside. Sabine was about to escape up the ladder to her room when Ezra stopped her.

"No one heard about this. Not even Zeb." He warned.

"I know nothing." She smiled teasingly.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Really wanted to get this one written and it's significantly longer than usual. Remember to leave your thoughts or story requests in a review :)


	10. Coming of Age (S3)

"What about that one?" Ezra pointed to a picture on the datapad.

"Hah. You may as well throw paper at them." Sabine laughed.

"I heard the CA-87 was good!" Ezra protested.

"If you're a Jawa." Sabine replied. "But hey, what does a fully trained Mandalorian know?"

"Fine." Ezra huffed, scrolling down the page. "This one?"

The gun in question was the E-11, the dull, run-of-the-mill, plain, boring and completely utilitarian Imperial standard-issue blaster.

"Sure get it, but I'll shoot you." Sabine warned.

"What? Why?" Ezra exclaimed.

"Because you're a buckethead then." She explained.

"This?" Ezra moved on quickly, enlarging an image of T-21B. It was a large gun with a long barrel, shorter than a sniper but longer than a typical blaster. Ideal for long ranged attacks.

"No way, you're already slow enough as it is. We don't need you hauling that thing around." Sabine giggled.

"Faster than you." Ezra huffed.

"No you're not."

"Yeah I am."

"No, you're not."

"Yeah-"

"Just hurry up and choose before I change my mind." Kanan grumbled from the other room.

* * *

 _Yesterday_

"Kanan!" Ezra called through the ship.

"What now?" Kanan groaned, knowing full well what Ezra wanted.

"Can I get a blaster?" He smiled sweetly.

"Haha. Last thing we need you havin' is a lethal, kid." Zeb teased.

"I've got a lightsabre, you know." Ezra informed the Lasat.

"Even worse." Zeb added.

"But Kanan, I don't feel like I'm contributing enough. You, Hera, Zeb and Sabine all have blasters. So unless we're right up in their face, which isn't too often, I can't do anything but sit behind a crate and wait for you to clear them out." Ezra explained.

Even Kanan had to admit he had a point.

"And besides, you need someone to step up now that you're… Not well…" Ezra continued sheepishly.

The Jedi let out a lengthy sigh. "Fine, but at least ask Sabine for help. I don't want you carrying an ion disruptor or the like."

"Thanks Kanan you're the best!" Ezra exclaimed excitedly as he dashed down the hall, arriving at Sabine's room.

"Sabine! Sabine!" He bellowed excitedly, pounding on her door.

"What is it, kid?" The Mandalorian replied tiredly, her voice muffled by the wall.

"Kanan said I can get a blaster!" Ezra grinned as the door slid open to reveal Sabine standing there.

"That's great, but why does it concern me?" She asked, confused.

"He said I should get advice so I don't get the wrong one." He repeated.

Well, grab the datapad and I'll help you." Sabine decided.

* * *

"This kid is gonna be the death of me." Kanan sighed to Hera, who walked into the common room to relax. She dropped onto the seat next to Kanan and rubbed his shoulders reassuringly.

"Relax, love, he's just excited." She smiled.

"I guess. But he's still gonna be the death of me." Kanan admitted.

"What about a DH-17?" Ezra gestured to another weapon.

"Hmmm…" Sabine hummed at length. "It's alright, but it's automatic, so the kick will be ruthless, and I'm not sure you're big enough to handle it."

Ezra was offended but knew inside that she was telling the truth, and only had his survival and best interests on her mind.

"Ok." He replied, downcast.

Sabine detected his sadness and gently pried to datapad from his grip.

"Hey, don't be upset. We'll find your match." She scanned the page. "How about this?"

The DL-44 was a small, compact blaster ideal for short and medium range combat, basically Ezra's ultimate weapon. The boy's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.

"That looks insane!" He exclaimed and Sabine giggled at his excitement.

"Kanan, where can we get a DL-44?" She addressed the Jedi.

"Vizago might have one. I'll go with Ezra." He replied, standing.

* * *

"So you want a DL-44?" He confirmed with Kanan.

"Yeah, that's it," The Jedi nodded. He had specifically instructed Ezra to keep quiet.

"You, over there. Search those crates we got from the weapons factory heist. Look for a DL-44." He gruffly instructed one of his henchmen. The man obliged.

"You need a new blaster, Jedi?" The crime lord asked idly.

"Not for me, for the kid." Kanan patted Ezra's shoulders, enjoying the look of surprise on Vizago's face.

"Eh. Either way." He dismissed it with a wave. "What are you paying?"

"What are you asking?" Kanan challenged.

"1000 credits."

"600."

"750."

"Deal." Kanan smiled as he dropped the credits into Vizago's palm. He chuckled greedily and placed them in a pouch.

His henchman appeared behind him with the blaster in question, handing it to his boss without a word. Vizago inspected it and passed it to Kanan, who once more passed it to an excited Ezra.

"Pleasure doing business with you." Vizago grinned, more concerned with the cash than helping the Rebels.

"The pleasure's all mine." Kanan replied smoothly as they headed back to the parked Ghost.

* * *

Sabine rarely got a moment to herself, but when she did, she would brush up on her blaster skills. The Mandalorian was firing at some crudely built targets when a blaster shot fired into one of them, slamming it drunkenly to the side. She jumped in fright, turning her blasters to the source to see a grinning Ezra with his new weapon.

"Kanan, you've made a mistake on this one." She sighed, looking at the Jedi.

* * *

Sorry for the delay in release. This one is for Megapithecanthrope. I also tried to make longer chapters. Please review with your feedback, and if it's bad, tell me why :) Thanks!

~Saint


	11. Crystal Hunting (S3)

"Soooo… Where are they?" Ezra complained to Kanan.

"I told you, we have to go deeper before they'll start to show up." Kanan sighed.

Since Ezra's lightsabre had been shattered on Malachor, he needed a new one, being a Jedi and all. Kyber crystals were an essential feature, and without them you'd have a useless metal rod you may as well bash the enemy over the head with. They were scattered across the galaxy, found on worlds such as Ilum, and scarcely on Lothal. However, there were a few locations that they were known to be, and Kanan had taken Ezra to get a new one.

"Why do I need a new one, anyway? My old one is still blue." The padawan groaned, tired of the walking.

"If I recall correctly, Vader dominated you." Kanan smirked.

"I didn't see you come to help. You were so focused on leaving." Ezra exclaimed.

"Well if I wasn't then we wouldn't be having this conversation." The Jedi stated.

Ezra grumbled in reply and quickened his pace, wanting to get the whole thing over with.

"Slow down or you'll miss the signs." Kanan instructed.

They descended deeper into the cave for what seemed like ages before they came to what they were looking for. Ezra felt a slight disturbance in the force, but not a bad one. More like… a sign.

"Kanan!" Ezra whispered and the older man nodded.

"Remember, the one you will get calls to you." He added.

The cave opened into a deep pit. Ezra could see little glimpses of white light glowing from the bottom of it.

"Let's go!" He called to Kanan.

"You have to go alone." Kanan explained.

Ezra looked at him quizzically but ambled slowly to the edge of the drop, peering in. The padawan composed himself and jumped lightly, using the force to soften his fall. Walking around, he studied each crystal critically, finally settling on one.

"Use the force." The Jedi instructed, his voice echoing around the pit.

Ezra extended his hands and aimed at the little growth of crystals. Pouring all of his focus and energy into it, the crystal began to shake and rattle. His face screwed up in concentration as it was pulled free from the rock and gently floated up to his hands. Ezra opened his eyes and smiled, proud of himself, and jumped back up to where Kanan waited, using the wall to strengthen his ascent.

"Let's see it." The Jedi prompted.

The boy opened his hands and a small, white crystal stared back.

"It's… It's white!" He stammered in disbelief.

"Close your hands and focus on it." Kanan instructed.

Ezra obliged, closing his hands and eyes, focusing on the white crystal's force signature. When he looked at it again, it was green.

"Green!" He exclaimed.

"See, it changes colour when its force signature attunes to the user's." The older Jedi smiled.

Ezra's face transformed into a grin as he examined the crystal thoroughly.

"Green! I always wanted green! You told me Yoda has a green blade? He does doesn't he? I'm Yoda now!" The words tumbled out of Ezra's mouth.

"Easy now, easy." Kanan chuckled.

* * *

The Phantom docked with the Ghost in orbit and Hera's voice crackled over the comm.

"Phantom you are clear to disembark."

Kanan opened the doors and strolled out as Ezra barged past him in a hurry to build his new weapon.

"What's got him all excited?" Zeb quizzed from the couch.

"Jedi things." Kanan settled on, and then called to his padawan. "You know what you're doing?"

"Yeeeesssss." Ezra's voice called back.

In truth, he had figured out he would need a new crystal to replace his old destroyed one. In the weeks prior, he had salvaged some spare or discarded parts from around the Rebel base. When he was satisfied that he could complete a design to his liking, the boy assembled all of the part, but left the two sections unconnected for easy crystal access.

He carefully slipped the crystal into its little chamber and screwed the top on above it. Ezra then attached the two parts together and fastened them. Picking up his weapon, he walked back to Kanan in the common room with the others.

"Back already?" Kanan exclaimed in surprise.

"I already found and assembled all I need." Ezra explained.

"But does it work?" Kanan grinned.

Ezra ignited the weapon and the brilliant green blade leapt from the emitter with a clean sound, much unlike his other weapon, which was more of a pop. He waved it around experimentally, and then deactivated it.

"This time, don't get it broken." Sabine laughed.

Ezra glared at her. "Easy for you to say, you have blasters."

"Relax, I'm just playing with you." She replied with a playful punch. "Bet you can't beat my darksabre with it."

Sabine stood and dashed to her room, coming back with the weapon.

"You, me. Duel outside." She challenged the boy.

"Oh you're on." Ezra laughed, following her.

As he ran down the ramp, Sabine stood before him, darksabre ignited and ready.

"Come on. Are you scared?" She teased.

Ezra swung his blade down on her and she blocked it with a flat parry. Whilst she wasn't as skilled as him, Sabine could still hold her own in a fight – to a certain extent. If Ezra chose to whip out some fancy moves that Kanan taught him then she might have a problem. But she was confident that he would be nice to her, since she was still learning.

The Mandalorian tried to slash across his body, which Ezra easily flicked to the side.

"Number 1, Keep your blade up." He instructed with a giggle.

"Hey!" Sabine huffed, stabbing at Ezra with her blade. He stepped easily to the side and brought his blade down on her waist, stopping it inches from her body.

"Number 2, don't rush in." He mocked.

Sabine kicked his legs from under him and his lightsabre was thrown from his grasp as Ezra fell heavily on his back. He looked up to see Sabine's darksabre point almost touching his nose.

"Number 3, never let your guard down." She smiled sweetly.

* * *

Sorry I haven't written a lot recently, I've had exams piled on top of me. If you like it, please favourite/follow and leave a review to tell me what I should do! Thanks :)

~Saint


	12. Announcement

Hey Guys

I apologise for getting your hopes up, thinking that this was an update. I am here to explain why I haven't posted for about a month and a half properly, since my last Artist and the Lothrat episode was rushed.

My last proper update for Dark Temptations was August 10th, I think, and I intend to continue that story. School holidays begin in a week, as does the new Rebels season, which sparked my interest again.

School exams have prevented me from updating for most of the time, as well as family medical problems meaning that I can't steal an hour to even start writing a chapter. My last assessment is due Monday, so in 5 days time as I write this. Hopefully between then and the weekend I can write an update for one of the stories. If not, definitely in the holidays.

Thanks for sticking around

~Saint


	13. New Responsibilities (S3)

Ezra was leaning against a crate, still fuming at Hera's decision to suspend his command. The Atollon sunset created beautiful patterns in the sky but there was no room for any nice things in his brain at the moment.

"I not only scout the station, but I steal the Y-Wings and destroy the damn base, which still isn't enough." Ezra growled under his breath, completely unaware who was behind him.

"Ezra, you did great." A female voice encouraged from behind him. He turned suddenly and found himself staring straight into Sabine's eyes.

"I mean, you risked everyone's lives for the mission, but that's what we all signed up for." She smiled.

"Tell that to Hera." He grumbled.

"She'll cool down eventually. Half of her anger was probably the Phantom, you know how much she loves her ships." Sabine pointed out.

"Still, she won't see what I've done. Even Kanan does but he isn't in charge" Ezra shook his head.

"Hera is different from Kanan. You've learnt from him, and it's only natural that you'd pick up some traits from him. He focuses heavily on the mission too, and Hera doesn't have as much combat experience." She explained.

"So why hasn't he said anything?" Ezra huffed.

"Unfortunately Hera has the approval from Sato, and what he says goes." Sabine revealed shyly.

"Great, another person against me. Why don't I just walk out while I'm at it?" The Jedi wasn't having the best day, even by his standards.

Sabine gripped his shoulders. "We need you Ezra… I need you, and now that Kanan isn't what he used to be, you have to step up, and you've done a great job at it."

"Then how about Hera starts acting like she needs me. So what, I destroyed her precious little Phantom in return for five new bombers." He explained.

"Ezra, rank shouldn't matter to you. You're still our leader in the field, as a general or as a soldier." Sabine promised.

Ezra looked at her and a small smile creased his features. "I don't know what to do. Part of me wants this Rebellion to succeed and part of me wants to protect all of you, unlike I could do for my parents."

"We all signed up because we hate the Empire, and we're all prepared to give our lives for a noble cause. You're exhausted Ezra, the battles have taken it out of you. Let's get some rest." Sabine gently guided him towards the Ghost.

* * *

Thanks for reading! As explained before I was away because of exams and the only one that went shit was maths so it's all good. I felt this scene needed to be immortalised, and having seen art from Meldy Arts on tumblr it pushed me to write it. Again, I apologise that it's only short. Hope you enjoyed!

~Saint


	14. Illness (S2)

Yo I got like 13 million requests for this kind of chapter so here ya go:

* * *

As soon as he woke up Ezra knew that something was wrong. He had blurry vision, a throbbing headache and a dry throat. The padawan turned to look at the holoclock, which read 6:13am. It was safe to assume that no one else would be up yet, except Hera who may be in the cockpit for repairs. He held his breath for a few seconds and heard no movement and therefore concluded that Hera was asleep. Ezra decided to try and go back to sleep, just for another hour or so.

* * *

Ezra woke up and rubbed his eyes, annoyed to find his earlier symptoms still present. He sat up in bed as he heard footsteps coming down the hall.

"Ezra, breakf- oh, you're up. Wow, you look terrible." Hera observed.

"People don't normally look great when they wake up." Ezra grumbled.

"Not like that." Hera replied. "You look sick."

"Hera really, I'm fine." He croaked as the Twi'lek strode up to the bed and removed her glove, placing her hand on his forehead.

"You're burning up, can you walk to the medbay?" She asked with concern.

"Of course I can." Ezra stated bluntly as he stood. His legs shook and he lost balance, falling into the bed.

"Hmmmm, worse than I thought. Stay here and I'll get everything." Hera commanded as she walked out the door.

Ezra could hear her speaking to the others in the common room as she gathered everything. Pretty soon he had a crowd at his door.

"Yah right kid?"

"What's wrong, Ezra?"

"Did you hurt yourself anywhere?"

Ezra squinted over and identified Sabine, Kanan and Zeb.

"Guys it's fine I'm alright." He smiled weakly.

Hera made her way through the crowd and knelt next to Ezra's bed. She sighed in annoyance and called to Kanan at the door.

"Kanan, can you run diagnostics on the Ghost while I help Ezra? It has to be done today." She fussed.

"Hera I can help Ezra if you need to do it, really I'd be happy to." Sabine offered from the door.

"You sure you know what to do?" Hera replied uncertainly.

Sabine sighed but still smiled. "Yes Hera, I've had training on this, remember?"

"You did attend the academy for a while… Ok fine." The pilot decided. She stood, ruffled Ezra's hair lightly, and left with the others.

Sabine moved to Ezra's bedside and grabbed the ice pack Hera had set down, wrapping it in a cloth and placing it on his forehead. Ezra hissed softly at the sudden temperature change but his face softened as the cool pack soothed his fever. The Mandalorian smiled and then reached for container of pills that Hera had also brought to his room. She scanned the label quickly to make sure that she was gonna feed him the right ones and opened the cap, pouring two of the pills into her hand. Sabine extended her hand to Ezra, who opened his palm as she dropped the pills in. He lifted them to his mouth and swallowed, draining a glass of water that Sabine also offered, nodding his thanks.

"Hang in there, it should only take a couple of days to go away." She encouraged. "I'll bring you breakfast."

Sabine stood and walked out of Ezra's room to the kitchen, where she gathered a couple of space waffles on a plate with a glass of blue milk. She took them back down the hall and into Ezra's room. As she entered, he sat up and she placed the plate on his lap and the milk on the floor next to the bed. Sabine pulled up a small stool and sat next to the bed, and they talked.

"So, how's the throat?" she asked with genuine concern.

"It's getting better." He replied, still a bit croaky.

"Blue milk is great for soothing throats." Sabine observed helpfully, handing him the glass.

Ezra sipped and smacked his lips together, nodding. "Yeah. Yeah it is."

"How has training with Kanan been?" Sabine inquired, encouraging Ezra into conversation.

"Well, I guess as good as training as a Jedi can be. I mean, we sit down silently and just meditate a lot, which can be hard because I can't sit still." The padawan admitted.

Sabine giggled. "You don't say." She replied as Ezra shifted in bed for them umpteenth time. "Finished?"

Ezra nodded and Sabine grabbed his plate and cup, taking it to the sink and returning to his room. She moved her stool and helped Ezra lay back down into bed, ready to sleep again.

"The best medicine for you is rest." She announced as she tucked his blankets up under his shoulders. She had to admit; when he was asleep he had a pretty cute face. As he drifted off she kissed him lightly on the cheek and left, blushing slightly.

* * *

Ezra woke up, and was instantly aggravated at the sandstorm that was rushing through his throat. It was 7:19pm according to the holoclock, he had slept for around 10 hours. He shifted in bed to sit up and Sabine's voice came from her room across from his.

"Ezra? Are you up?"

"Yeah." Ezra chocked in reply.

He heard her door hiss open and her footsteps went the other way. They stopped for about a minute and they became gradually more audible as she approached his door. It slid open when she came close enough to reveal Sabine holding a tray with a bowl of soup on it. She smiled, walked in and set it down on the stool.

"Would you like some of Hera's soup?" She offered.

Ezra smiled as she placed the tray across his lap. No sooner had it touched his legs than he had picked up the spoon and began to hungrily devour it. Sabine allowed herself a little giggle and set to work with replacing the ice pack again. She removed the current one from his neck and wrapped a new one with the same cloth, sandwiching it between his neck and the wall. He seized up for a second but relaxed almost immediately.

When she looked up, Ezra's bowl was completely empty.

"Hera's cooking isn't bad is it?" She smiled.

"Complete opposite, it's amazing!" Ezra exclaimed.

Sabine knelt down and kissed Ezra on the cheek again, this time when he was awake. She enjoyed the look of utter shock and surprise on his face as she left his room with the tray.

"Get some rest. Zeb and Chopper have no one to annoy and now they're driving us mad."

* * *

Thanks fore reading! If you enjoyed please show your support with like/favourite/review and if you didn't, please tell me why so I can improve! also feel free to suggest ideas for future updates, I may bring back Cody (from The Years Before) briefly.

~Saint


	15. Comfort (S3)

"How are you holding up?" Ezra spoke gently to Sabine as he walked into her room. She normally would have been annoyed at him for entering unannounced, but then it just seemed right.

"Alright, I guess." She replied with a sigh.

It was almost a full day since the traumatic experience with Maul, only second from being executed before Kanan came to the rescue. Ezra dropped onto the bed next to her and leant forward to face her. He gave her one of those patient Jedi looks that Kanan does, letting her know that he wasn't convinced.

"You don't look fine." He observed bluntly.

"It's just… Maul. He's come so close to killing us more than once and I can't help but think he'll succeed eventually." The Mandalorian confessed.

"Sabine, as long as Kanan and I are alive, he won't lay a finger on you or the others." Ezra placed his hand on her shoulder.

"But that's as long as you two are alive, and Maul's not the only one trying to kill us, and mainly you." She protested.

"Alright." Ezra nodded. "How many times have you trusted me to do something, that if I failed, would very likely kill or seriously injure you?"

"Ummm…" Sabine hummed for a few moments. "Six that I can think of."

Ezra kept nodding. "And have I failed any of those?"

"No, otherwise I wouldn't be here." She replied.

Ezra was bubbling inside. If he were honest with himself, he wouldn't exactly be the comforting type. He was an introvert at heart, but the crew had done their best to reignite his personality, with success. But this was the first time he had to properly comfort someone else. Not just with a, 'ah well you'll be right,' but by actually sitting down and talking through their problems. The progress he had made was nothing short of astounding and he was determined to see his friend – no, best friend – through her tough time.

"Exactly." Ezra smiled and extended his arms to illustrate that his point had hit home.

Sabine smiled softly. "I'm sorry. I just can't help being nervous. I've already had one family ripped away from me and I'm not about to lose another. But I only wish it were that simple."

"Sabine, we have to put ourselves in the front lines if we want something to happen. Maybe when this Rebellion succeeds we can take a back seat position." Ezra encouraged, careful to say 'when' and not 'if'.

"I just – it's so slow. We've been at it for over two years and you would at least think that we'd have gotten more than a base and a few junky ships." The Mandalorian protested.

Ezra laid his hand on hers. "Anything worth fighting for isn't gonna happen right away."

Sabine sniffed. "You sound like Kanan." She replied, amused.

"Ezra, feel the force flow through you." He mimicked his master very well. If Sabine didn't know it was Ezra she would've been fooled.

"Patience."

Sabine laughed at Ezra's imitation, forgetting about the problems of war for a while. It was nice to just enjoy the moment and forget about the future, but that was easier said than done. People age faster in war, and before you know it you're enveloped by every possible problem and requirement for success against an enemy with seemingly no weakness. Ezra had helped her here tonight. She silently vowed to herself that she was not going to let her relationship with him slide through her fingers.

"You know, you're really something, Ezra." She giggled.

"Hey, I'm a lady's man, what can I say?" He charmed smoothly. Sabine rolled her eyes to let him know that it wasn't working.

Ezra stood from the bed to leave, thinking that she might want some privacy to dwell over her own thoughts, but something latched onto his wrist and pulled him back down.

"Stay. I love your company." Sabine smiled.

For the rest of the evening they spoke and absorbed each other's presence. The Ghost could have exploded around them and they wouldn't have noticed. Tonight it seemed to just work. Everything they hadn't shared or spoke of before surfaced; tales of childhood, families, growing up and the future. It was safe to say that after Ezra retired to his own bed well past midnight, he no longer considered himself unable to comfort.

* * *

Thanks for suggesting this chapter! Feel free to leave your feedback, positive or negative, and suggest future instalments. Most importantly, ENJOY :D

~Saint


	16. Cooking Lessons (S1)

Ezra was up early on this particular morning. He sat up in bed, yawned and stretched his arms above his head. Squinting at the clock, he made out 7:12am, so about an hour before the others would be up. Ezra stood and made his way tiredly to the fresher, where he washed his face to wake himself up, before leaving for the kitchen and sitting down on the bench. He idly fingered a glass in the drying rack from the washing up when Sabine walked in.

"Oh, hey kid. Thought I heard someone." She gave a small wave.

"Sabine, what're you doing up this early?" Ezra questioned in surprise.

"Couldn't sleep so I thought I'd do some painting, but since we're both up we may as well make breakfast." Sabine replied decidedly.

"Wait, we?" Ezra shot back in even more disbelief.

"Yeah, we. You speak basic don't you?" She sassed.

"Yeah, well, of course. But I can't cook." Ezra tensed, expecting a flurry of insults.

"Don't worry, I'll show you!" She smiled warmly, catching Ezra in complete surprise.

He slid off the bench and joined her in front of the cooker. The Mandalorian bent down and grabbed a machine that opened on a joint with a bunch of squares and holes in it. She stood and placed it on the counter and crisply rattled off a list of items to Ezra.

"Alright kid, let's get moving." She jogged him lightly in the arm. "We need eggs, milk, flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, butter and vanilla."

Ezra uncertainly went to the fridge and grabbed the milk, eggs and butter. He returned to Sabine and placed the items next to the machine, which he still had no idea what it was. She arrived with him and produced boxes of flour, sugar, salt, vanilla and baking powder.

"Alright, can you grab two bowls and two spoons, then we're ready to start." She announced as Ezra removed the items from their respective drawers.

"Ok, so you're gonna get a bowl and spoon first." Sabine instructed and Ezra complied, dragging them in front of him.

"Before we start mixing, let's melt the butter." She explained, placing a dish of butter in the microwave and heating it up. It beeped after about thirty seconds and she withdrew the steaming dish and put it back down on the counter.

"Now, get the eggs, milk, butter and vanilla, and put them in the bowl."

Ezra picked up the two eggs and put them literally in the bowl, before splashing 1and ½ cups of milk over them. Sabine giggled and the padawan looked up in confusion as to what he had done wrong.

"Come on stupid, you need to crack the eggs." She laughed, picking up the two barely visible objects covered in milk and shaking them off. "Watch."

Sabine lightly tapped the egg on the rim of the bowl until cracks began to form in the shell, before gently prying them apart and dropping the contents neatly into the mixture. She handed Ezra the other egg. Instead of lightly tapping, he ungracefully bashed the shell on the bowl, completely obliterating it as the contents and half of its protective exterior slid down the side into the milk. Sabine shook her head in amusement and fished the shells out.

"Not bad." She encouraged, patting him on the back. "At least the egg made it into the bowl."

After a little more guidance, Ezra had put all of the ingredients into his bowl and was underway with the stirring.

"Make sure it's all mixed, and you can't tell individual parts." Sabine reminded him as she combined the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in her bowl.

Once the mixing was complete, Ezra poured his bowl into hers, and the Mandalorian stirred the wet ingredients into the dry ones. After removing all of the lumps, she began the next part with her student.

"So the waffle iron is hot enough now." She observed, waving her hand over the surface. "Get a ladle and pour it into the machine."

Ezra gingerly spooned some of the waffle mixture into the waffle iron. It hit the surface with a gentle hiss and spread between the cracks.

"Well done!" Sabine encouraged and Ezra smiled.

She closed the lid and locked it, waiting for the light to turn on, alerting them to flip the waffle. They continued this process until a plate stacked with about twelve waffles remained.

"I'll go wake the others." Sabine explained. "Can you get the cups and the jug of caf?"

Ezra followed her directions and was laying out the utensils as Sabine entered with the crew behind her.

"Waffles, my favourite." Zeb grinned as he sat down.

They consumed the first few bites in silence, combined with the warm caf.

"Not bad, Sabine." Kanan complemented.

"Thanks, but Ezra did most of it." She beamed.

The Jedi looked surprised, but his face softened into a smile. "This true, kid?"

"Yeah." Ezra looked proud of his work.

"You gotta do it more often." Zeb chuckled.

* * *

Had a lot of fun with this one. This was mainly inspired by my experiences of the first time I made waffles. Remember to leave a favourite/follow/ positive or negative review if you have ideas or constructive criticism. Couple of things to ask, so PM me or review with answers.

1) Should I bring Cody into an episode with a market run where Ezra introduces Sabine to him?

2) Should I eventually do a QnA? Leave questions if you want one. It may help you get to know me better?

As always, ENJOY :D

p.s. school starts again tomorrow so less updates :(

~Saint


	17. Skystrike Reflection (S3)

Sabine was in the process of redressing herself in her armour after the undercover mission into the Skystrike Academy. It felt good - a sense of familiarity - to be back in her Beskar plates that were well worn from many missions. Without warning, Ezra barged into her room.

"Sabine! Sabine! Are you alright?" He requested nervously.

"You aren't one for knocking are you?" She quizzed, raising an eyebrow.

"Forget that, what happened in there?" Ezra's enthusiasm hadn't dropped.

"Hold up, let me get my boots on." Sabine replied with a hint of annoyance, sitting on the side of her bed and sliding her feet into the colour splattered boots.

"Alright, we were dropped off from the shuttle and had to sign in, but my ID card didn't work. I had to slip the spare one from under my helmet." She explained.

"Ahhhh. That droid almost cost us the mission, and your life." Ezra growled, thinking of what he could do to show the droid what happens when you fail.

"Leave it, Ezra." Sabine raised a gloved hand. "Anyway, we got our bunks and I met up with Wedge to talk about getting out."

"Wedge didn't do anything… To…. You did he?" Ezra whispered menacingly.

"Ezra. No! We would never! We're just friends." Sabine hissed defensively.

Ezra nodded at length. "Good. He better not have. Continue."

Sabine looked at him quizzically. "Then after we tried to escape and failed Governor Pryce interrogated us."

Ezra was instantly on his feet and slammed his fist into the table next to her bed.

"What did she do to you?!" He demanded angrily.

Sabine stood and eased him back down gently, flattered by his care. Though she didn't want him to die by rushing into the Skystrike Academy on pure emotions.

"Relax, Ezra." She soothed. "She didn't hurt me, I escaped fine."

Ezra eyed her body over, scanning for any hints of scarring or any minor damage, even just a scratch.

"Who is she?! I will hunt her down…" Ezra growled.

"Ezra!" Sabine urged. "Please, we will have our chance eventually."

The Jedi screwed his face up in thought, and his mood changed instantly to concern again.

"I was against fleeing, you know. We can't back down from everything." Ezra explained.

"I ordered you to. If you didn't, I'd still be there and you'd be dead. What good is that?" Sabine protested. "Kanan made the right choice."

"So what? We're Jedi, we would've found a way out with you too. You're a part of our family and we don't leave family behind." He retorted confidently.

Sabine looked into his eyes and gently directed his fleeing gaze back into hers. "I know you loved the old days, but this isn't what it was two years ago, when it was just the six of us running around and stealing for the Empire. But those days are gone, Ezra. Now we're part of something bigger."

Ezra simply stared back, and replied in a very small voice. "I don't want to be."

"We would be crushed by the Empire." The Mandalorian replied in a resigned voice.

"It seems like we're being captured even more now! The only rescue missions we had to do before were for Kanan on Mustafar and Zeb on that moon. Now we've rescued 7 people in the last week." Ezra explained in exasperation. He enveloped Sabine in a hug. "I don't want to lose you anymore."

Sabine leant back and looked into his sad eyes. Her heart broke to see him so destroyed inside. Every victory they scored came with a price. She squeezed him supportively.

"Whatever we do, we're not gonna lose each other. I can promise you that."

* * *

Sorry for the kinda short chapter, Cody is up next :)

Don't forget to review or whatever ;)

~Saint


	18. Old Friends (S3)

"There is a new mission for you." Sato explained as the Ghost crew entered the bridge of the Liberator. "We need to make contact with the new Rebel base on Dantooine, and require a brief oversee of procedures to make sure everything is flowing smoothly for the first week."

"Seems easy enough." Hera commented, nodding. "What's the description?"

Sato pressed a button on the console of the meeting table they were crowded around. A hologram of the base as seen from above expanded to fill the table's diameter.

"Just routine checks. Make sure all the personnel are doing their jobs correctly and they're well equipped with ammo, vehicles and whatever else you feel necessary." The commanded rattled off crisply.

"And how many will we need to send for this?" Kanan quizzed.

"Two would be best, one if you're pushed." Sato replied.

The Jedi hummed in thought. "Ezra. Sabine. You're in for this one."

"Roger that Kanan." Sabine smiled at the thought of breaking the mundane days around the cruiser.

"Then it's settled. You leave now. Get your things." Sato commanded.

Ezra and Sabine retrieved their gear from their rooms and returned to the docking port of the Ghost, where the rest of the crew were waiting. They all made their way to the Phantom. Sabine dropped into the pilot's chair and Ezra pulled down a seat from the wall.

"Be safe, remember to contact if anything happens." Hera warned.

"Will do, Hera." Sabine replied as the door closed. She waited for her cue.

"Permission to detach." The captain's voice crackled over the comm.

The Mandalorian disengaged the air lock and the small craft drifted up slowly. She activated the engines and propelled them away from the Ghost.

"Phantom to Liberator, requesting coordinates for Rebel base." Sabine announced.

"Sending now, Phantom. Permission to proceed." Sato replied.

"Received." She stated.

"Safe travels." The commander relayed.

Once the coordinates had been processed by the navigator Sabine activated the hyperspace travel. The familiar blue and white lines streaked down every side of their viewport as the Phantom zipped into oblivion. The pilot swung her chair around to face Ezra.

"Trip takes about an hour, get comfortable."

"If I remember correctly, my best friend was recruited here." Ezra mused.

"That's Cody, isn't it?" Sabine questioned.

"Yeah, him. He contacted me last week." Ezra nodded.

* * *

"Ezra, we're here." Sabine's gentle voice cut through his sleep.

The boy slowly pried his eyelids open and sat up as the Rebel base rose into their view. The Phantom rattled softly as it touched down and the command crew was already exiting the base to meet them. Sabine opened the rear door as she and Ezra stepped outside to address the others.

"You must be the representatives from the Liberator." The man who appeared to be the commander started. He was tall with wavy, blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Yes, commander. I'm Ezra Bridger and this is Sabine Wren. We were sent to oversee procedure." Ezra explained.

"Very well. Follow me." He replied, leading them into the base. The walls were cut out of the cliff face, roughly shaped to allow a decent amount of room. Vines and other foliage lined the walls and little lights flanked each side of the walkway.

"Um, excuse me, sir." Ezra stuttered, thinking of how to arrange his words. "There's a Cody on duty here, isn't there?"

"Indeed there is. Do you need to speak to him?" The commander affirmed.

"If possible, yeah." Ezra admitted as they reached a pair of thick, durasteel doors.

"I'll contact him. This is the command room." He announced, leading them to a screen that another Rebel was working on. "Here you can see the full map of the base. That's the hangar, armoury, infirmary and the various briefing rooms." Gesturing to each one, the commander concluded.

"So, according to Sato, we'll be inspecting each area and making sure it's all working well." Sabine informed him.

"Indeed, but you'll need someone to lead you around. I'll contact your friend." The commander replied, drawing his radio device from a pouch on his belt. "Let me just connect to his…" He mumbled absentmindedly whilst doing just that. Another voice came from the other side that Ezra mentally confirmed was his friend.

"What's up, Merrick?" Cody sounded concerned.

"You're required in command, are you busy?" The commanded, now known as Merrick, ordered.

"Just finished refuelling the A-wings." The boy announced.

"Excellent. The representatives from the Liberator need to be shown around the base." Merrick replied.

"No worries, I'll be right up." The scuffling of shoes on the floor could be heard on his end. They presumed he was moving.

"And do it quick smart, C258." Merrick relayed and replaced the radio on his belt. "Was that your friend?" He addressed Ezra.

"Sounded like him." The Jedi sounded calm, but his heart was beating quickly in anticipation. He had not seen his friend in eight years. They had talked briefly about repairs on the stolen Y-wings, but that wasn't vocally. He was still yet to inform Cody of his Jedi status and even that he was in the base. As far as his friend was concerned, it was just another official from the Liberator crew.

The doors of the command centre opened to admit Cody. He had changed considerably since the last Ezra saw of him. The boy had much sharper facial features, but still retained the unmistakable brown eyes. His dark drown hair wasn't as thick as before, and it was slightly longer. He spotted Merrick and walked over.

"Commander." He stated simply.

"Cody, these are the representatives you'll be showing around. This is Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren." Merrick announced.

Cody's face broke into a smile. "Long time, no see brother." Ezra enveloped him in a man hug.

"You're a Jedi now!" Cody replied, noticing Ezra's sabre.

"Yeah, about two years ago." The Jedi commented. Cody nodded and turned his attention to the Mandalorian

"And you must be Sabine." He smiled, extending his hand. She took it in hers.

"Yeah. So you're the kid Ezra has spoken about." She grinned in reply.

"That's me. So let's get going, I guess." Cody gestured for them to follow.

The trio exited the command centre and proceeded down the hall. They took the first right and entered a massive hangar lined with salvaged ships of varying types, from Y-wings to A-wings to B-wing prototypes.

"The hangar is camouflaged externally and can house up to thirty crafts. There's twenty personnel on deck per shift and we run maintenance or whatever needs to be done." Cody explained.

"Impressive." Ezra nodded.

"Where do you get the fuel from in this quantity?" Sabine asked, intrigued.

"Normally steal it from Imperial cargo ships passing through the system. A few fighters is enough to get what we need and mask our retreat. Then we simply bring it back here and store it for use." The boy seemed genuinely proud of their method.

"Remind me to inform Sato of this, could be helpful for the fleet." Sabine addressed Ezra and he nodded.

"Everyone here has had the basic trai-" Cody continued but was cut off by his radio.

"Attention all personnel, scanners have detected a fleet of Imperial speeder bikes within a kilometre of the base and closing in. Attend your battle stations at once."

The boy grimaced. "Can we ever catch a break?" He muttered under his breath. "I gotta defend the place in the front line, you guys go to the control room, get your ship, and get out of here."

"No way! We're going with you to defend." Sabine protested.

"Yeah. Do you have a weapon?" Ezra added.

Cody processed this for a moment. "No. The armoury is across the other side of the base."

"Then let's go." Ezra prompted and they dashed towards the armoury.

* * *

The trio scrambled through the door to the Rebel armoury and Cody detached a standard issue rifle from the rack and they made their way to the front of the base.

Arriving as the bikes could be seen on the horizon, Cody and Sabine jumped behind the barricades to engage. Ezra stood near them with lightsabre drawn and ready to be activated.

"Trooper, how many are there?" The Jedi addressed a nearby soldier.

He scanned the enemy with his binoculars. "I count at least two dozen, sir."

Ezra hummed in thought and activated his lightsabre. "Let's drive 'em off!"

The bikes were in close distance and began to fire their forward lasers. The Rebels ducked behind their cover and Ezra deflected some of the bolts back at the drivers, destroying one speeder. The enemy circled around and regrouped for another attack.

This time, the defence force all stood and fired their own weapons, ducking every so often to allow for cooldown and then returning fire. Sabine was all but leading the attack with her dual blasters, killing scout troopers on every run they made. Cody was a decent shot with the rifle, not as polished as Sabine, but better than the average soldiers. His strength was close combat.

As another bike closed in it fired its lasers, which were deflected into the engine by Ezra's sabre. The trooper was somersaulted into the front line and slammed into Cody, both of whom were sent reeling back. The trooper stood quickly and threw a punch at the stunned boy, who ducked in time to grapple his arm and roll the Imperial soldier across his back and drop him to the ground with a thud. He made a desperate kick at Cody's legs but the boy delivered a quick jab to the jaw and he was out cold.

"Not bad, kid." Sabine complemented as she was sitting behind the barricade watching proceedings.

Cody nodded and retrieved his blaster to take his place on the front line again.

"Sabine, get ready to jump!" Ezra shouted and she knew what he meant. It was a manoeuvre they'd practiced over and over at Chopper Base.

She stepped back and took a long run up at the front line, vaulting over it as Ezra force pushed her over the remaining three bikes. The Mandalorian unleashed a barrage of lasers at the enemy, swiftly killing them all as Ezra lowered her harmlessly to the ground. Seeing that the battle was won, the Rebel troops stood to assess the damage. Sabine walked back to the boys.

"Nicely done, boys." She grinned.

"Creative move, they didn't expect that." Cody complemented.

"Well, I think that now all is in order, we should tell the fleet and finished the base inspection." Ezra prompted as they followed him back inside.

* * *

So this one took forever, sorry guys. Next one will be about Sabine painting Ezra's scout armour from Hera's Heroes but please request for future ones :) As always don't forget to review, positive or negative and all the other good stuff. This is my longest ever chapter, roughly 1800 words, and it was hard to incorporate Sabine and Ezra as well as enough Cody. Also, end of year exams are in two weeks then I'm on camp for a week and then have three months off, so more updates. Enjoy :D

~Saint


	19. Paintjob (S3)

Quick note to the guest reviewer who eloquently informed me "the phantom is gone." Thank you. I hope I haven't offended anyone too deeply with this usage and I retract the preposterous thought that this may have just occurred before S3 started ;)

* * *

Ezra was recovering from the mission in the kitchen, sipping from a glass of water. He had yet to change out of his scout trooper armour, but planned to do so after his drink. Lost in thought of how differently the mission could have gone, he didn't notice Sabine enter the kitchen.

"Hey." She greeted.

Ezra blinked a few times and looked to where the voice was coming from, identifying it as Sabine. His shoulders relaxed, but he wasn't aware that he'd tensed them.

"Hey." He nodded.

"Lucky we got you out alive, huh." Sabine replied.

"Yeah. It was. I thought we'd have to fight our way out." Ezra acknowledged.

"Say, are you gonna use that armour?" The Mandalorian smiled, picking up the helmet that lay on the counter.

"No. Why?" He asked.

"Is it alright it I paint it?" Sabine examined the helmet.

"Sure." Ezra shrugged.

"Great!" Sabine exclaimed. "Stay right there." She dashed off to her room.

"Wait, you didn't say with me in it!" The boy shouted in protest. After no response for a few seconds he shook his head in dismissal.

Sabine returned seconds later with the cans of paint. "I can't wait to see what this looks like!" She exclaimed.

"Neither can I." Ezra sighed.

Sabine dragged him into the middle of the room and began to walk around him, sizing up the different designs she could paint on the different plates.

Let's start here." She hummed in thought, drawing a spray can and priming it in the air. Ezra could see fine orange droplets propelled from its nozzle.

Sabine aimed the can at Ezra's left breastplate and began to paint a crude orange starbird, her signature design. After touching up the edges she primed her purple can and deftly filled in the area around it. She stepped back and assessed her work as a cheeky grin spread over her face. Sabine quickly lifted the can to Ezra's hair and emptied a good few seconds of paint into it – bright orange paint.

"Sabine!" Ezra bellowed as she dashed out the door, laughing.

* * *

Very short but just showing that I'm alive. Yearly exams finish in 4 days so uploads will return :)

~Saint


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